Nablus Residents Confront Settler Violence

In Nablus, today, Palestinian villagers in al-Bathan and al-Naqura confronted Israeli settlers as they tried to storm the two villages. 6,000 Palestinians are currently being detained in Israeli prisons, while 24 at Hawara are suffering food poisoning.Citizens said, according to Al Ray, that settlers attacked the village of al-Bathan, this morning at dawn, and headed towards the parks area to perform rituals, but young men of the village confronted them, forcing them to leave.

Several Israeli settlers from the illeagal Shafi Shomron settlement, as well, attmepted to invade the village of al-Naqura.

Villagers released warnings of their presence, Al Ray reports, calling on citizens to walk in groups, especially before sunrise, in order to avoid settler attacks.

Confrontations also erupted last night between Israeli settlers and Palestinian citizens of Eynabus, to the south of Nablus, after the settlers stormed the village and assaulted its citizens.

According to the Alternative Information Center, in Beit Sahour, a number of Palestinians threw Molotov cocktails at Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus, late Sunday, before being dispersed by Palestinian Authority security personnel.

While the site is under Israeli control, AIC reports, the Israeli army evacuated the premises in October of 2000, shortly after the start of the second intifada.

Jewish groups frequently visit the under the protection of Israeli forces, who deploy heavily in the area. Clashes with youth from the neighboring Balata refugee camp are frequently reported.

Many further confrontations, occurring with both settlers and Israeli soldiers, have been reported across the region. See related article: http://www.imemc.org/article/68375

Abdul-Nasser Ferwana, Head of the Census Department at the Palestinian Ministry of Detainees, has said that the number of the Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons has risen significantly, in recent weeks, reaching 6,000 according to recent statistics.

In a statement on Monday, Ferwana pointed out that the figure is likely due of the escalation of Israeli attacks and the ongoing arrest campaigns across the West Bank and Jerusalem.

According to Al Ray’s report, of the 6,000 prisoners:

477 prisoners are serving life sentences, 17 are females, more than 350 are children under the age of 18 and 370 are administrative detainees, held without charge or hope for trial.

Israeli forces have arrested 12 MPs in the latest West Bank arrest campaigns, raising the number of detained MPs to 23.

Ferwana has called on all Palestinians to cooperate and stand united in putting pressure on the international community and relevant institutions, to shoulder its responsibilities and to use all available means and potentials in obliging the Israeli state to comply with their signatory agreements under the international law.

Sunday evening, Israeli police detained 110 Palestinian citizens during demonstrations held in the pre-1948 Palestine, in protest over the killing of Jerusalemite child Muhammad Abu Khdeir, who was abducted, tortured and burned alive by Israeli settlers, last week.

Furthermore, according to WAFA, Palestinian Prisoners Club lawyer Annan Khadr has stated that 24 Palestinian prisoners at Israeli ‘Hawara’ jail were poisoned after they were given expired food by the prison administration.

Even though administration was informed of the incident, prisoners were not provided with the necessary treatment and have suffered severe abdominal pain and diarrhea for two days in a row.

‘Hawara’ jail is known to be one of the worst detention centers, and is described by detainees as not fit for human beings.